


Three Leaved Chaos

by dinosaur12



Series: Black Clover [3]
Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alcohol, Beach Holidays, Dick Jokes, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Jealousy, Love Triangles, Unrequited Crush, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:33:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25147042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dinosaur12/pseuds/dinosaur12
Summary: Three-Leaf day is coming up in the Clover Kingdom, but there's one big problem: All the Captains happen to be pining after the same girl. Hijinks ensue.
Relationships: Charlotte Roselei/Reader, Charlotte Roselei/Yami Sukehiro, Dorothy Unsworth/Reader, Fuegoreon Vermillion/Reader, Gueldre Poizot/Reader, Jack the Ripper (Black Clover)/Reader, Julius Novachrono/Reader, Nozel Silva/Reader, Rill Boismortier/Reader, William Vangeance/Reader, Yami Sukehiro/Reader
Series: Black Clover [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1771279
Comments: 11
Kudos: 125





	1. The Problem

**Author's Note:**

> Kind of self indulgent? Oh well. This should be maybe 3 chapters long.

The three leaves of a clover represent faith, hope, and love. On the holiday known as Three Leaf day, citizens of the Clover Kingdom prepare a gift for a special someone. The receiver must give one of those three virtues in return. Faith and hope are good and everything, but the reward everyone is really looking for is love. 

Well, almost everyone. 

"Alright everyone, listen up! You better all be on your best behavior today. And get this damn building cleaned up! If anything goes wrong, I'm skinning all your hides."

Yami had bigger issues on his mind than Love. His squad, the Black Bulls, was notorious for being a group of unproductive ruffians. That was true, sure, but Yami still wanted to improve their reputation. Julius entrusted him with a squad, after all, it was the least he could do. Today might be a good day to achieve that; an official from the Castle was coming by to conduct an evaluation, which could directly affect squad rankings. If there was a time to get serious, it was now.

"Captain, Captain! I have a question!" Magna exclaimed, raising his hand. "Who exactly is it that's coming?"

Yami sighed and took a drag of his cigarette. "Some new official at HQ. I don't know the guy, but they're as green as they could get... probably some prissy noble boy, if I had to guess."

"Ooh, are they cute~?" Vanessa slurred from the couch. 

"Probably not... by the way, you better be dressed and sober by the time they get here!"

Luck giggled and punched the air. "Ooh! Ooh! Can I fight them? I bet they'd like that!"

"Absolutely not."

"Maybe it's a girl!" Finral swooned. "If so-" 

"Don't even finish that sentence."

Gauche sneered and held up his photo of his little sister. "Captain, there's no reason for me to be here. Can I go-"

"No, you can't go visit your sister."

"Grrrr!"

"That's enough! Everyone get cleaning!" Yami barked. The squad broke off to go do their chores, all anxious about tonight's evaluation. Yami sighed and sat down in his chair, pulling out a newspaper to distract himself. _This could go really badly... it doesn't help that we're the last squad to get visited. This evaluator is going to be comparing us to all the other squads..._

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Captain! I didn't expect you to be so tall! I mean, I've seen you before, from afar, but up close you're like a giant! Does it run in your family?"

Gueldre Poziot had no idea what to do, for the first time in his life. He and his squad were prepared better than anyone for this evaluation. He was well aware of the problems in his squad, and would rather conceal them than have them get fixed. Everything was in place, but he never expected this problem...

No, the problem wasn't the evaluation. It was the _Evaluator._

_Oh no. She's cute._

He didn't expect this official to be an extremely cute girl, that was for sure. "I- Uh- yes, actually, it runs in the family," he finally replied, trying to keep it together. Gueldre wasn't the type to get flustered like this, but there was something about the way she looked at him with those wide, bright eyes, and how cheerful and genuinely interested she seemed to be in him. He wasn't used to people being... nice to him. His squad obeyed him, sure, but that's as personal as it got. "So... let me give you a tour of our place?"

She closed her eyes as she smiled. "Of course!"

To his delight, she actually took the arm he offered her. Gueldre was practically giddy as he walked. 

_Look at me... could this be love?_

* * *

Charlotte Roselei could only bring herself to love one man, Yami, but she was pretty sure she would never have her feelings returned. However, she did develop little crushes on women very easily. This was definitely one of those times. 

"Wow, she seems like a cool person," Sol said to her captain. The two of them were watching from afar as the evaluator talked cheerfully with some of the other squad members. "Don't you wish that she would join our squad, sis?"

"It's captain, Sol," Charlotte corrected, a light blush on her cheeks. "And yes... I suppose I do."

Her heart jolted as the girl turned and jogged towards them. That was another cute thing about her... she was always moving, whether it be tapping her foot or pacing around, or fiddling a pen between her fingers. She never walked, she ran from place to place, even if it was just a short distance. She was so full of life and excitement, Charlotte couldn't help but feel drawn to her. 

"Captain! What an amazing squad you have!" she burst out as she skidded to a stop. "So many powerful women! I wish I were a magic knight now, haha!"

Charlotte laughed to herself. It was surprising; she usually got so worked up over crushes, but this girl put her at ease. "It's not too late, you're welcome to stay here!" 

"Oh, that's so nice of you! But, I couldn't possibly leave my current job... Marx says that my coffee is the only thing keeping him alive!"

Charlotte frowned. She knew Marx was one of the Wizard King's closest associates. "Coffee? They don't have you acting as a servant, do they?" The thought of a girl like her being reduced to such a role...

Luckily, the girl shook her head adamantly. "Oh, no no! It's not like that at all! I mean, I used to be a servant."

"Oh? So, you're not nobility?" Charlotte asked, wondering how this girl managed to climb so high in the ranks. 

"Nope! I was a peasant, but my magic happens to be very convenient," she explained. "So, I worked in the castle as a royal servant. It wasn't great, but it was a job... but then, someone told me that I needed to go, er, _spend time_ with the king... I was so scared! They made me wear a tasteless outfit and everything..." The girl laughed nervously, but Charlotte could tell by the look in her eyes that it was a truly bad memory. The Captain wanted nothing more than to grab her in her arms right then and there, and protect her from this cruel, evil world. 

"But!" Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she started to talk so fast that it was a little difficult to tell what she was saying. "I was so scared, I decided to run away! I started using my magic and making a big hole in the wall to jump out because otherwise I would have to go back through all the guards... but then, who should walk by but the Wizard King! I had never seen him before and thought he would be old and ugly like Augustus (Don't tell him I said that please), but he wasn't either of those things! He asked what was going on and I told him, so he took me with him instead! And, ta da! Here I am." She spread her arms out cutely to punctuate her point. "Well, that's all I really have to do here. I have three squads left to check out." She turned and waved goodbye. "See you later, Charlotte!"

Charlotte blinked, then realized that it was too late to ask the girl out. _Dammit! I'll have to invite her to tea or something next time._

"Big Sis?"

Sol poked Charlotte in the cheek, the older woman having zoned out watching the Evaluator run off out of sight. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no! Nothing." Charlotte blushed. "And it's Captain, Sol."

"Got it, Sis!"

Despite Sol's antics, Charlotte had a little smile on her face.

_Three-leaf day is coming up soon after all..._

* * *

_"_ Are you sure you want to come? It might be dangerous." Fuegoleon frowned down at the young woman who was sent to evaluate his squad. They were about to leave on a mission to round up some dangerous magical beings out in the strong magic region.

However, the girl wasn't dissuaded. "What better way for me to evaluate you guys than go on a mission! I probably can't stay the whole time, I have one more squad to visit. And also!" She grinned and punched the air, trying to look tough. "I can take care of myself!"

 _...cute,_ Fuegoleon thought to himself, but was suddenly drawn from his thoughts as his sister Mereoleona, who was here to visit for a few days, slung her arm around the evaluator's shoulders. "I like you! There's nothing I love more than a tough woman!" the flame-haired woman laughed. "And if you get in trouble, I'll be the one to save you." She sent a playful glare over at Fuegoleon, but her message was clear. _Hands off. This one's mine._

Fuegoleon sensed a challenge, and smirked to himself. _Over my dead body._ "Very well. You may accompany us."

They headed off to the strong magic region. The magic creatures were like large, purple octopuses, flinging rocks around with their tentacles. "Make sure to just knock them out! We've been ordered to relocate them!" Fuegoleon ordered. The Crimson Lions yelled back in response before rushing into battle. Fuegoleon crossed his arms and watched, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the Evaluator, who was entranced. "So? What do you think?"

"They're wonderful!" she exclaimed. "So many powerful knights, and they're all so well coordinated..." She turned to beam up at Fuegoleon. "That's because of your leadership though, right?"

It took everything Fuegoleon had to fight off his blush. "Ah- er- I suppose. The squad all works hard, though."

"Mhmm! And Mereoleona's wonderful!" She pointed at his sister, who was kicking one of the octopus's ass. "I've never seen someone fight like that!"

"Big bro! Can I get a little help?" Fuegoleon looked over to see his brother Leopold struggling with one of the beasts. He let out a deep sigh. "Sure." He ran off to help, and the two of them quickly dispatched the enemy. _Haha, look at that! That must have impressed her..._ Fuegoleon turned around to see that she was, indeed, shocked at the power he just gave off. But what really got his attention was what was coming up behind her.

"Oh no! Look out!"

The evaluator turned around just in time to see one of the Octopuses barreling towards her. Both Mereoleona and Fuegoleon sprang into action, sprinting towards her as fast as they could. _Shit! I'm not going to get there in time!_ Fuegoleon's eyes widened as the beast prepared to crush the small girl with its tentacles. _It's going to kill her! FUCK-_

The Evaluator raised her hand, her Grimoire already open in front of her. "Dehydration Magic: Vanishing Vapor!"

As soon as the spell was cast, the beast suddenly started to wilt up as all of the water vapor in its body was squeezed out. It let out a squeal of confusion as it shriveled up, shrinking down rapidly. A moment later, the once-fearsome animal plopped on the ground at her feet, the size of a normal octopus.

Fuegoleon and Mereoleona skidded to a stop, their jaws hanging open. The girl giggled and picked up the octopus in her hands, as it squirmed around helplessly. "I told you I could take care of myself, right?" They had no words. "Here." She handed the creature to Fuegoleon. "You two are impressive, and so is this squad! Unfortunately, I really need to get going, but this was fun!" They both waved goodbye weakly as she turned, grabbed her broom, and flew off into the north. The sun was setting.

"...Damn." was all Mereoleona could say. "She was... interesting."

Fuegoleon nodded, smiling to himself a little. _That was... kind of hot._ There was a strange feeling in his chest, something he hadn't felt for a long time. "I hope we can see her again soon."

"Hmm." Mereoleona hummed in agreement. "After all... Three Leaf day is coming up soon."

* * *

"Hi everyone! Sorry I'm so late, I got caught up in a mission with the Crimson Lions! How are you doing tonight?"

Yami and the other Black Bulls stared at the girl in front of them. _This_ was the evaluator the Wizard King sent them? Slowly, Yami looked her up and down, then smiled to himself. _Julius... thank you for making my day. No, for making my week._ He cleared his throat. "It's fine. Come on in."

The others watched in silence as Yami and her walked around the base, discussing the latest missions and squad performances. "Wow... she really is a cutie," Finral said, hearts in his eyes. "Do you think she would talk to me?"

"Probably, but just to be nice," Charmy responded, breaking the man's heart.

"And besides, I think Yami would kill you if you did," Magna commented. "I mean, look at him."

"What about him?"

"Use your eyes," Gauche grunted, Gordon peering over his shoulder at the scene. "He's going to try and hit that by the time she leave."

" _Hit that?_ What do you mean-"

"By the way, where is Vanessa?"

Speak of the Devil. Vanessa came staggering around the corner, still in her underwear, and spotted the Evaluator. "Oh! They're here! And they're a girl!" She giggled and slung an arm around the girl's shoulder.

Yami glared at her. "Vanessa! I told you to get dressed! Are you still drunk?" Not only could this ruin their evaluation, but it might ruin his chances with this pretty girl.

"Yami, she's just comfortable in her own skin, that's all!" The evaluator giggled and let Vanessa lean on her. "And besides, everyone enjoys a drink now and then! Even me."

"Yeah, but Vanessa here enjoys like 30 drinks," Yami commented, a little nervous about it.

"Awww, not only are you cute, but you're also kind~" Vanessa tapped the girl on the nose.

"Cute? Ahah," the girl laughed nervously and blushed. "Well, thank you."

"Now! Come have a drink with me," Vanessa coaxed. "it's Squad tradition."

"Vanessa-"

"Sure! I love traditions!" Everyone cheered and started pulling the girl off toward the dining room. Yami let out a frustrated breath. This wasn't going to end well.

And end well, it did not. Charmy made a feast as the others poured their drinks, and tried to feed it to the Evaluator. "Try this! It's one of my favorite recipes!"

"Thank you!" The girl took a bite, and stars were instantly in her eyes. "So good!"

"Here, a toast!" Vanessa handed her a glass of wine then raised her own. "To... tradition!"

"TO TRADITION!"

15 minutes later, everything was in chaos. Luck and Magna were fighting. Guache was yelling at Charmy and Gordon, Grey was squatting in the corner, and Vanessa as forcing another glass into the poor Evaluator's hands. "Here! One more couldn't hurt!"

"Vanessa, that's enough," Yami was trying to stay calm for the sake of appearances but it was getting hard to do. "Look at her, she's at her limit."

Indeed. The evaluator was flushed pink, her eyes glassy. However, she snapped out of it at Yami's words. "No way! I can handle more!" She grabbed the glass. "I need to surpass my limits! Watch me!"

The words were like the arrow of cupid, which sailed right into Yami's heart. He could do nothing but stare in awe as the girl chugged her glass before letting out a laugh. "See! I did... I..."

Uh oh. Her eyes suddenly went dark.

"I..."

She couldn't say another word. The evaluator passed out right there on the couch, slumping down like a deflated balloon.

"...look what you've done!" Everyone suddenly paused, terrified at the sight of the unconscious woman. Yami checked her pulse and breathing. "She's alright, but she could be sleeping for a while. We really messed this up..." He clenched his jaw. _Not only did I let everyone get wild, but I couldn't be in control of the situation... I really am a shitty captain sometimes._

"W-what are we going to do with her?" Magna stuttered, pointing. "Isn't she supposed to work in the castle? They might think we've kidnapped her!"

"No... I doubt it'll be that serious," Yami said, grabbing a blanket and pillow and tucking the girl in. She made a soft sound and buried her face in the pillow. "We'll watch her carefully tonight."

"And I'll make her breakfast in the morning!" Charmy piped up.

 _I have a feeling she's going to be more interested in purging her stomach than filling it,_ Yami said, staring down at the sleeping woman. _However... she is really, really cute when she sleeps..._

Suddenly, he tensed up. He could feel something rocketing towards the base, a magical signature so powerful that it could only belong to one man.

"...uh oh."

Something made impact with the ground outside, and a moment later there was a knock on the door. Yami steeled himself for what was inevitably to come. "Everyone. Stand up straight. Don't act up for once in your pathetic lives."

Everyone was confused for a couple minutes, until Yami opened the door to reveal none other than Julius Novachrono, the Wizard King himself, standing there. "Good evening, Yami! It's good to see you... say, have you happened to see-"

Yami got straight to the point. "You're looking for her, right?" He stepped out of the way to point at the sleeping lump on the couch.

"Ah! You killed her?!" Julius rushed by in a panic, stopping next to the couch with a distraught look on his face. "No, not killed... but Yami!" He frowned and crossed his arms. "What on earth happened here? Why is the evaluator I sent you asleep on the couch?"

"She got... uh..." Yami kicked his toe into the ground sheepishly. "She's drunk."

"Yami! People die of alcohol poisoning all the time, you know," Julius scolded. Yami expected this, but it hurt all the same. "She's a lightweight, too. Honestly..." Julius let out a sigh and turned back to the couch. 

Yami felt the disappointment radiating off of the older man, making his heart clench more. "...I'm sorry."

Julius raised an eyebrow, surprised that Yami actually apologized for once. "It's alright... at least she had fun." He smiled a little. "Anyway, thanks for making her comfortable." He said nothing else before leaning down, carefully picking her up in his arms as if she were some glass thing he was afraid would break. Julius let out another sigh through his nose, but this time it felt more like relief. "You'll hear back about the evaluation in a couple days. Have a good night!" Despite the tension, Julius smiled at them warmly before turning around. With a flash of light, the two of them disappeared.

"... great. Of course he had to show up and see everything for himself," Yami grumbled, pulling out another cigarette.

"Captain... we're all very sorry, we shouldn't have-"

"No. Just... go to bed. I'm not mad," Yami cut Magna off before walking off to his room. Right now, he needed a good shit and a good sleep. However, despite this debacle, Yami felt a pit of warmth in his chest.

 _Even after everything that happened... I'm glad I got to meet her._ He smiled to himself. _And, after all..._

_Three Leaf day is coming up._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, I got the idea for dehydration magic from Megamind fight me.


	2. Hope

The next week or so went by without any major events. However, everyone had a goal in their mind: to win the heart of their crush on Three-Leaf day. Included among that group, it turns out, was every Magic Knights Squad captain. No one was prepared for the conflict that was to erupt. 

"Well, that's it for our meeting! Please check out the evaluation report that's in those folders, there's plenty of suggestions for all of you!" Julius clapped his hands together as he stood up. The Captains were all gathered there for a meeting, about a week after the evaluations. "Remember, the new member exam is in just a month. Use this time to strengthen your positions! Or, er-" He sent a not-so-subtle glance at Yami. "Use it as a... fresh start!"

 _Fresh start? This geezer really has the nerve to lecture us after he was 15 minutes late to the meeting?_ However, Yami knew he probably deserved it, after the debacle last week. He still felt bad about what happened to the Evaluator he was entrusted with, but all he could do now was take her advice to heart and make his squad better... somehow. He did ask Julius about her right before the meeting truly began. _"Oh, yeah, she's fine! She had quite the hangover the next day, but she's been out and about ever since."_

"Alright, who wants to go get a drink? One of the rich boys is paying," Yami said, standing up after Julius left.

"Ka ka! Yami, you're such a freeloader," Jack hissed with his usual wide smirk. "To be expected of a foreigner."

"Hey, you'll be taking advantage of it too, commoner."

"Silence! We will be paying for our own drinks, and no one else's," Nozel snapped, standing up and flipping his feathered cloak dramatically.

With that, the nine of them headed down to their usual spot, a bar in the castle down. Everyone ordered drinks and started to lounge around, as they were the only ones in the bar at this time of night. However, after a few drinks, Yami started to notice that something was up with William, the Captain of the Golden Dawn. "Yo, masked weirdo, what's the matter? You look all gloomy." He snickered as an idea came to him. "I got it! Your evaluation was bad, right?"

William narrowed his eyes, but gulped nervously. "No... in fact, my evaluation was perfect." 

"Eh?" Now Jack was interested, too. "What's the matter then? Ooh, I have an idea~" He giggled, already a little tipsy. "You have a crush on someone, right?"

"Huh? No! No way." However, they could all tell the man was bright red, even with the mask on. "Well, I mean- i-it's none of your businesses."

Nozel and Fuegoleon turned to look at him, concerned that the usually cool-headed man was getting flustered. "Oh? Have you finally found a Lady Vangeance?"

William didn't respond, just stared at his drink silently.

"Eh. Whatever." Yami took another sip before glancing around at everyone. Fuegoleon and Nozel were sitting by the bar, which was being tended by the usual old man. Gueldre was oddly silent tonight, but had a satisfied look on his face. Charlotte, Rill, and Dorothy were sitting together at a table. Dorothy was asleep, Rill was furiously drawing something in a sketchbook, and Charlotte kept stealing glances at Yami. _Huh... their minds are all miles away,_ Yami thought to himself. For some reason, his mind drifted to the memory of that Evaluator's smiling face, and felt his heart start to clench again. _I want to see her again... but in the meantime, I feel the need to talk about her to someone._ He cleared his throat. "So... what did you guys think of that Evaluator?"

As soon as the sentence passed his lips, Yami felt everyone's Ki tense up. _What the Hell? Did they all get bad evaluations?_

"She was... interesting." Fuegoleon was the first to speak. "She assisted us on a mission. Her magic is actually quite powerful. It's not hard to see why she stands beside the Wizard King."

"... I thought the same," Nozel suddenly said. Yami raised an eyebrow. Nozel was actually complimenting someone? "She was very confident in her job."

"She was a delight, yes," Charlotte said quietly. "I wish she would join my squad."

"Oh! That Evaluator! She was wonderful!" Everyone jumped out of their skins as Dorothy's eyes suddenly popped open and she jumped out of her seat.

"Ah! What in the Hell, you can talk?" Yami and Jack chorused together.

Dorothy giggled and gave them a peace sign. "Uh huh! That girl was so sweet! Kirsch loved her, too. She's very cute... me and her are kindred spirits. In fact..." Dorothy giggled again, a light blush on her cheeks. "I'm thinking of getting her a present for Three Leaf Day."

All at once, the remaining 8 captains jumped to their feet.

"NO! You can't!"

Everyone regretted the instinctual reaction as soon as it happened. They froze and looked around at each other, realization dawning simultaneously.

"Whoa, whoa, why did we _all_ get so defensive all the sudden?" Yami asked, pointing around accusingly. "Don't tell me..." He suddenly started laughing. "Do we _all_ want to give the same person a gift on Three Leaf Day?!"

"Tch." Nozel scowled. "As if I would ever give a gift to someone so many ranks below me..." However, his blush betrayed him.

"Wait! That can't be true, William also stood up," Fuegoleon exclaimed. "William, don't you already like someone?"

William winced. "I... I do... and that someone is _her."_

"I can't believe this! All you disgusting men, lusting over such an innocent girl!" Charlotte suddenly shouted, glaring at them all.

"Ka ka, Charlotte likes her too?" Jack asked, crossing his arms. "I'll slice you to bits if you touch her!"

"Say, Charlotte, I didn't know you liked girls?" Yami asked, slightly disappointed. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised..."

Charlotte flushed pink. "I-I like men, too, you know!"

"Oh? What man do you like?"

"T-t-t-that's none of your business!"

"Wahh!" Rill suddenly started crying. "She was so beautiful and picturesque... I've been drawing her ever since!" He flipped his sketchbook around to reveal a photorealistic drawing of the girl. He captured her cuteness perfectly.

"Well, if we all like her, she'll just have to choose which one of us to return Love to on Three Leaf day, right?" Fuegoleon proposed. Yami laughed. "What? Yami, is this really a laughing matter?"

"Sure is! None of you losers stand a chance against me!" he told them brashly.

"Ah, ah, ah... don't be so sure about that." They all looked over at Gueldre, who chuckled. "You see... I'm four steps ahead of you." The large, ham-like man smirked. "I took her on a date."

"WHAT?!?!?"

"How dare you! I was planning to ask soon!" Fuegoleon roared like a lion.

"You can't possibly... she deserves Royalty, not New Money like you!" Nozel added, not even trying to hide it anymore. 

"I told you, she and I are kindred spirits, she's going in my dream world and never coming out," Dorothy threatened.

"Whoa, hold on, tell us about this so called _date_ Ham-man," Yami asked, picking up that he wasn't telling the whole truth.

Gueldre gulped. "Well... you see..." He fiddled with his fingers. "Well, it wasn't so much a _date_ as it was a discussion about the evaluation... hehe... BUT!" He held up a finger before anyone could butt in. "It was over dinner! So it counts as a date!"

Everyone stared at him for a moment, quickly realizing that he wasn't a threat. "As I was saying-" Yami turned to the others. "None of you stand a chance against me. Me and that girl... we have a connection."

"Hey! Didn't you hear what I said?" Gueldre was standing his ground. "She deserves a guy like me!"

"Oh yeah? Personally, I think she deserves a little better than Gueldre Poizot Micropenis."

Gueldre and everyone else's mouths fell open at Yami's insult. "Y-y-you heathen!" Gueldre bellowed, balling up his fists. "You have no proof! And anyway, don't talk smack about that unless you've got an even bigger-"

"Gueldre, please." Gueldre felt a hand on his shoulder and looked down to see William gazing solemnly up at him. "Please don't take that road. That's not a battle you can win."

Everyone gasped at his words. "Ooh! William?!" Dorothy asked, looking concerned. "Wait, how do you know how big Yami's-"

"We were on the same squad back in the day," William cut in before she could go any farther.

Yami nodded, amused. "Yep... The Grey Deer base had some killer baths. Julius said it was great for squad bonding. That's why I had one installed at the Black Bulls base."

"The Grey Deer? Ka ka!" Jack pointed at the two of them. "That's right... you were on the same squad, and Julius was your captain? So, you took baths with him? So, you saw his..." His voice trailed off when he saw how both Yami and William were looking at him. He had never seen Yami look so grim before. _Jeez... did I just unlock some sort of tragic memory?_

_~ Yami and William's tragic memory~_

"Yami, you were right, this really is a nice bath." William smiled to himself as he sunk down to his shoulders.

"Of course I was right." Yami looked over at the younger man. They were still both relatively new to the squad. "Say, aren't you going to take that mask off?"

William frowned and shook his head. "No... I'd rather not."

Yami shrugged but chuckled. "Come on... you can't be _that_ ugly."

The other members in the bath laughed at the joke, and William even smiled along with them. "That depends on who you ask."

Even more laughter. Then, there was a voice. "You guys sound like you're having fun! Is there room for one more?"

Yami recognized the voice and looked over at the source. "Captain! Yes, join us."

Julius grinned and gave him a thumbs up before dropping his towel. He stepped down one step into the bath but paused when he realized everyone was staring at him. "...what?"

Yami gulped. "Uh, nothing." William was staring down at the water's surface.

Julius was genuinely confused. "Hmm? Am I bleeding somewhere?"

"No, no, just- er- you should get in the water."

"Ah, right! There's nothing like a good bath."

_~ end flashback ~_

"ANYWAY, you don't want to finish that sentence," Yami finally finished. "I stand by what I said... none of you stand a chance."

Fuegoleon scowled and clenched his fist resolutely. "That sounds like a challenge..."

"I won't let either of you beat me. I won't allow shame to befall the house of Silva," Nozel added.

"Wah... I'm too young for her anyway," Rill said, more afraid of the large men around him.

"I-I won't let her heart be stolen by a man!" Charlotte demanded.

"..." Gueldre had given up after being humiliated.

"Ke ke! I'll show you freaks what a casanova I really am!" Jack challenged.

Dorothy sighed. "This is getting boring now that you're all involved... I'd rather just sleep."

"...She's obviously got many admirers," William said sadly. "Very well... I'll leave her to one of you." He obviously wasn't happy about it, but hey, what's a man gonna do about it?

"That's it then, the challenge has begun!" Yami announced dramtically. "Three-Leaf day is in a week... a week to win that girl's heart!"

"Ah, if I could cut in real quick-" They all turned in surprise to see the speaker: the elderly bartender. He laughed nervously. "I'm just an old man, but don't you think you're jumping into this way too quickly? I mean..." he chuckled. "Most of you have only met her once, right? Yet, it sounds like you're all in love. How is she supposed to reciprocate feelings for people she doesn't spend time with?"

Yami narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Hmm? Haven't you ever heard of love at first sight, you geezer?"

"Geezer?! Ah, and yes of course... just something to keep in mind." His eyes twinkled as he turned away to keep drying dishes.

"He has a point!" Fuegoleon said. "She's not a magic knight, and she works mostly in the castle. If we don't act quickly, she'll forget about us, or worse, catch the eye of one of the Wizard King's other advisors. We need to take her on dates... that way she'll fall for us, too!"

"I guess..." Yami pointed at them accusingly. "I'll be the first!"

"Oh yeah?"

"I'd like to see you try."

"Ka ka! I'll be the first to take her out!"

And just like that, the four men ran off to start writing letters and arrange a "date." The others staggered home soon after. 

As Charlotte walked home, she couldn't help but smile to herself. _I'm a step ahead of them now... she's already coming over for tea tomorrow._


	3. Faith

"Yami!!! I have bad news!!! Oh- Are you doing something super manly out here?" Magna ran around the corner to see his captain at a blacksmithing iron, pounding metal with a hammer. "Whoa! You are!" He ran up to him. "What are you making!"

"A gift," he said, holding up the short weapon. "It's a traditional Tanto knife from my homeland." He admired how the light was already glinting on the metal. "It's a Tree-Leaf day present."

"Ooh! How awesome!" Magna balled up his fists excitedly. "Who are you giving it to? That girl who got drunk last week?"

"She wasn't just _some girl_ , ya idiot. First of all, she's a Royal official. Second of all..." Yami didn't really know what to say. _She's not like other girls?_ No... that didn't sound right. He hadn't spent enough time with her to know exactly what it was he was feeling. But soon, he would. "Anyway, what's this bad news you mentioned?"

"Oh! Right! It's actually about that girl," Magna began. "I was in town with Luck, and we overheard a conversation with that Lion captain! He was told that the Wizard King and his staff were taking the day off at the beach, so he headed off that way immediately! He's going to go try to steal your girl, Yami!"

Now, _that_ caught his attention. "Shit! That's not good..." The beach was the perfect place to get to know someone better outside of work, and he wasn't going to let Fuegoleon have her all to himself! "Take care of things around here, right?" Yami ordered Magna before turning and running off to find a broom and fly to the beach.

 _This could actually end very well for me..._ He thought as he flew. _Water, sun, sand... and she'll be frolicking around in a skimpy bathing suit for sure. Yeah, this could actually be really good..._

As soon as he got to the beach, Yami realized there was a problem. "...fancy seeing you guys here."

Fuegoleon, Nozel, Jack, and Charlotte were _all_ here already, standing around at the edge of a roped off area of beach. A big sign was posted that said "Authorized renters only." Jack sneered at the sight of Yami. "Ka ka, you decided to come for a dip as well?"

"Obviously, he's here for the same reason as all of us," Nozel corrected, scowling at Yami. "Seriously. As if this wasn't going to be hard enough already."

Charlotte clenched her fists but said nothing. _Another competitor... I was looking forward to getting her all to myself._

"I told you, you can't come in," the guard argued with Fuegoleon. "This stretch of the beach has been rented for the day. Maybe you're all captains, but I was told not to let unauthorized guests-"

"Hey! Look who it is!"

They all instantly recognized that angelic voice. Yami braced himself, turning to look onto the beach. There she was, running towards them with a smile on her face and one hand extended in a wave. She was wearing a blue one-piece bathing suit. Despite being decidedly modest... it was almost sexier to leave a lot to the imagination.

"Sir, please let these people in!" she told the guard when she reached them, a little out of breath. "I'm sure the Wizard King won't mind."

The guard couldn't be bothered to argue with her and finally stepped aside, letting the five of them in. "It's great to see you guys again! We've been having a really relaxing time so far, we all needed a break from work," she told them.

Yami gulped, trying to think of what to say. _I need to make a compliment... before the others do!_

But it was too late. Fuegoleon, being the gentleman he was, swooped in and grabbed her hand. "It's great to see you as well... you look stunning in that suit, I must say." To punctuate the compliment, he leaned down and planted a wet kiss on the back of her hand.

She was obviously shocked at the gesture, but became even more shocked when Nozel grabbed her other hand. "The same goes for me... thank you for allowing us to join you, It's an honor." The words sounded much less natural coming from him, but he still leaned down and kissed the hand he held as well. Yami and Jack rolled their eyes. Royalty was really weird sometimes.

"Oh... thank you both!" she finally replied, blushing a little. "Now... would you like something to drink? Also, you should probably change!"

"Change? Into what?"

A few minutes later, the five captains were standing around awkwardly. Charlotte couldn't remember the last time she wore a bathing suit, but now she was... luckily she found a little slip to wear over it, she couldn't stand the thought of having her crush's eyes all over her. And Yami's too...

"Ooh Charlotte! Your skin is so soft and pretty!" Charlotte tensed up as the other girl rubbed her shoulder enthusiastically. "SO pale, too... can I rub lotion on you!? Please!"

"I-I-I-I suppose so-"

It was too late, she had already moved on. "And Fuegoleon!!! You're so well-built! I thought that all Royals were lazy like the King, but both you and Nozel obviously work out!"

Fuegoleon opened and closed his mouth a couple times, aghast. Nozel pursed his lips together, fighting tooth and nail against an oncoming blush. "Er... thank you?"

"And Captain Jack! You're so tall and lean! Are you really flexible?!"

Jack smirked to himself. "You got it, babe." Yami had never heard the man say anything like that. Jack contorted his arms weirdly. It was kind of gross, but his audience was enamored. "Wow! I've never seen someone's arm do that... and..."

She finally turned and looked at Yami, but froze. Yami tried not to smirk; he knew, in the body department, he had everyone here beat. _Hook, line, and sinker..._ he thought to himself as her eyes wandered over his muscles. "...wow... I've never seen someone with so many muscles!" she finally said, clapping her hands a little. "Can I... touch one?"

 _There we go!_ Yami thought victoriously, drinking up the angry expressions from the others. "Sure... go right on ahead." He flexed his bicep, earning a gasp of astonishment. However, just as she was about to touch it, a voice interrupted them.

"What the Hell is going on here?!"

Uh oh. They all turned to see none other than Marx, one of the other advisors, marching up to the group with a sour look on his face. "You five! Don't you have work to do?" he demanded, crossing his arms. It was hard to take him seriously while he was wearing swim trunks, but his voice was still severe. "This is a private event you know!"

"Oh, Marx, it's probably fine!" Marx turned to look at his colleague speak. "After all, I'm sure Lord Julius would be fine with it."

Marx shrugged, looking up and down the beach. "By the way, where did that man go..?"

"Hey! Look what I found!"

The voice came from the water, and everyone instantly recognized it. Yami turned to see none other than Julius running out of the water towards them. He was holding something in his hand, but more importantly...

"JULIUS! WHat on earth are you wearing!?" Marx demanded, his voice higher than normal.

The same question was on everyone's minds. Fuegoleon, Jack, and Nozel couldn't look away, while Charlotte looked pointedly at the ground.

"Oh, this ol' thing?" Julius gestured down at the garment. It was basically underwear, leaving nothing to the imagination. "It's a Speedo, apparently they're all the rage these days! Competitive swimmers wear them to reduce drag, and it really helps me move around!" To prove his point (to everyone's horror), he started to do some stretches and lunges, showing off the hideous shorts tan on his thighs. "What do you think?"

Yami let out a loud laugh, thinking it was hilarious. "You really have no shame!"

"I'll say," Marx grumbled. "We're lucky this area is private... what would the public say if they saw their Wizard King running around practically nude?"

"But, what's that creature?" Julius looked over at the girl, who had managed to drag her gaze off of his toned legs and onto the thing in his hand.

He held out his prize with a grin on his face. "I dove underwater and caught it! It's a crab! It keeps pinching me though- YEOUCH!" The crab's claw snapped down on his finger. Julius swore and placed it on the girl's head while he shook off the pain. She simply laughed and pointed at the crab. "Look at that! It's like a crown!"

_... what a weird situation._

Still, the objective of the day remained: spend time with this girl and make her fall in love! With the five of them, it wouldn't be easy, especially since Julius kept butting in. His increased maneuverability allowed him to spend ample time bothering everyone, but they did manage to get a few moments alone with the object of their affection. Nozel created a knife out of mercury and cut open a coconut so she could try some of the juice. Fuegoleon created a sand sculpture of her wearing a bikini (which Julius accidentally ended up trampling while he ran around). Jack threw a frisbee around with her for a while, making sure to pause and teach her some of his techniques. Charlotte let her rub lotion on her, and the two collected sea shells while they chatted.

"So... How do you like it? Working in the Castle at Magic Knights HQ?" Charlotte asked.

"Oh! It's more amazing that I ever would have thought." she responded, pausing to pick up a little shell. "I've met so many cool people... and for the first time in my life, I actually feel like I'm doing something important... I've seen for myself how cruel this world can be, but..." She smiled and clasped her hands together, her eyes shining with pride. "I keep getting little reminders that there's still good... even in places you wouldn't expect."

 _...wow. She's so earnest about all this, it's refreshing._ Charlotte was used to nobles talking about their "duty" and their "importance" and whatnot, while they just did what they always did and preyed on those weaker than them. Yet, there was this girl, just a former peasant, who's words dripped with honesty. _I like people like this... people who don't try to hide their true selves. The one to win her heart will be me!_

"That sounds nice... I'm truly happy that you ended up in such a position. It seems like the perfect place for you," Charlotte responded with a genuine smile. "You got to meet all of the Captains, right? Not just the five of us here... Did you have any favorites?"

"Favorites?" she laughed nervously. "Well, I would like to say _you,_ Charlotte, but I don't want to seem biased, you know!"

A soft blush appeared on Charlotte's cheeks, but her crush kept talking before she could respond. "They were all interesting in their own ways! Captain Unsworth was so sweet and cheery. We were like Kindred spirits!"

_Kindred spirits!? That's exactly what Dorothy said! AAAA, maybe they are on the same wavelength!_

"And Captain Poizot was so tall and noble! Oh, and Fuegoleon and Nozel! It's hard to guess that they're related, they're so different! But I liked both of them."

_Eek! She even liked Gueldre?!? I can't lose her to a man, I just can't!_

"And Captain Yami... he was a bit strange, but he's so muscular! I've never seen anyone with a body like that!"

Charlotte was nearly at her limit by now. So, she quickly changed the subject. _I need answers... today's my only chance!_ "Say, I heard that Three-Leaf day is in a week," Charlotte mentioned nonchalantly. "The Kingdom is in a frenzy over it... do you think you'll give anyone a gift? Or, do you think you'll get something from someone?"

_Yes!!! This way I can find out if she likes anyone!_

"Hmm..." she tapped her chin thoughtfully. _...cute._ "Well, I suppose I'll get some gifts for my coworkers. They're all so nice to me even though I was a servant before. Marx deserves something nice, he works so hard! As for me..." she let out a sigh and let her gaze wander. "...I doubt I will receive anything from the person I like."

_...."the person I like."_

_!!!_

_So she_ does _like someone!!_ It took everything in Charlotte's power to keep from shaking the poor girl down. _Calm down! She probably doesn't mean me after all... but I still want to keep trying!_ "Oh, I suppose I will get a gift for Lord Julius. He's been so kind to me, after all. I think I'll ask for _faith_ in return... there's nothing better to have than the Wizard King's faith, after all!"

Charlotte wasn't even listening at this point. She opened her mouth, not sure what she was about to say, but was cut off by a scream from the water.

_"Help!!! I'm drowning!!"_

Their heads snapped to look at the noise. It was one of Julius's staff members, a short man, who was flailing around gulping down water many meters off shore. Charlotte gasped. "Oh no! Is there a lifeguard?"

"We don't need a lifeguard!" Charlotte looked down just in time to see the girl go sprinting off down towards the surf, raising her hands. Instantly, with just a flick of her fingers, a slice of water disappeared from the ocean, a path leading to the drowning man. With an _oof,_ he plopped down onto the sandy seabed, traumatized but alive. She ran down the strip of the parted sea, grabbed him by the wrist, and dragged him up to safety.

Yami let out a low whistle as he stood with the other guys, watching. "Wow... she did that so quickly."

"And without her Grimoire, too," Nozel added. "She's truly... special."

"Ka ka, that's the kind of woman I like," Jack said, pointing at her as she consoled the victim. "Quick to act, and competent... you don't come across them every day."

"I'll say." Fuegoleon crossed his arms. "I like a woman who can take care of herself." He remembered how quickly she defended herself on the mission.

"It's not just that she's strong, she's also... so authentic," Charlotte added timidly, drawing the others' gazes. "I mean... she told me that she used to be a servant in the King's service, until Lord Julius found her. She's seen the worst that we have to offer, yet she still hopes for the best in everyone. She's not trying to pretend. She wants to help everyone, and..." her voice trailed off. "... _love_ everyone."

Yami blinked, impressed. _Hmm... that sounds like someone else I know._

"Wow!!! That was amazing!!! You can even dehydrate the sea?!?! I've never seen anything like it!!" Julius had appeared out of nowhere and was practically vibrating with excitement. "Here... you deserve this!" He pulled out a gold star and handed it to his eager advisor.

"Hey! Old man!" Julius turned to see Yami stomping over, angry. "I thought Stars were only for Magic Knights? You can't just hand them out like that!"

"I'm the Wizard King, Yami, I can do what I want. And- er-" Julius laughed nervously. "Old?"

Yami rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Come on." He grabbed the girl's hand. "I'm going to teach you how to fish."

The afternoon was getting to it's end as Yami expertly baited the fishing hook, watched with eager eyes. "That's really cool... are you sure I'll be able to do it?" 

"Sure. Here." Without any warning, Yami placed the pole in her hand and grabbed her by the waist, turning her around to face the sea. She let out a small sound of surprise at his strength, instantly blushing. "Here... just like this..." Yami gently took her wrist, guiding her movements. "Ready... go!"

With his help, she flung the pole forward, letting the hook sail through the air and plop into the water a few meters away. "There... that was a good cast."

"Really?" She beamed with pride. "Thank you, Yami!"

Yami felt his heart clench at the sight of her smile. It almost hurt, seeing her so happy... so happy that _he_ was taking the time to teach her something. _Yikes... I need to be careful. Something like this is so easily compromising me?_ He looked away to gaze at the sea. He still wasn't sure what exactly it was about her that he liked, other than her obvious good looks. She got excited about everything, something Yami couldn't be bothered to do himself. Maybe that was it... she couldn't be more than a few years younger than he was, yet she was so much more lively and optimistic. _.. maybe I don't just want her. I_ need _her._

"Yami! Yami! I got one!" She started to desperately reel in the line as something large tugged at the hook. "Ah! It's strong!"

Yami quickly helped her, letting her do the reeling while he steadied the pole. "That's it... just a little longer..."

With one last harsh tug, she ripped the fish out of the water and sent it sailing onto land, where it flopped around pathetically. She squealed with delight. "Yami! It's a shark! I caught a shark!"

Indeed, it was a shark. Yami winced as she just went ahead and picked it up. It's jaws snapped, but there was no way it could bite her from its position. "Wow... your first time fishing, and you catch a shark? I wonder if that's a good omen..." He raised his gaze back to her face, seeing how she was smiling up at him again. _...maybe I should say something... I'll tell her that seeing her so happy makes me happy? No... just say that she has a beautiful smile-_

She spun around gleefully once with the shark before cupping her hand in her mouth. "Lord Julius! Come look at this!!!" she yelled.

Yami winced at her words. "Wait, there's something I wanted to-"

Julius was already sprinting over at the sound of her voice. "Ah! What on earth- you caught that?!" Julius's eyes were nearly bulging out of his head. "That was swimming around out there... when I was?" He eyed the shark's sharp teeth.

"No, they really only come close to shore at night," Yami explained bluntly, a little annoyed that his advances had been snuffed out before they began. "Here, give me the shark, I'll boil it down and make shark soup for dinner tonight."

The girl blinked, taking in his words. "...boil it?" she said slowly. She looked down at the shark, then back up at Yami, then at the shark, then at Yami...

_Uh oh._

Then she burst into tears.

"I-I- I'm sorry Yami! I don't want it to die! It's such a b-beautiful shark, and so elegant and strong, I couldn't possibly eat it! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Yami had no idea how to deal with a crying woman and started to panic. "Ah- er- hey, quit crying! It's fine, don't worry about-"

He suddenly realized that Julius was glaring at him uncharacteristically. "Look what you did, Yami! Making her cry? You're not going to make her eat this shark, are you?"

 _Hey! Stop making this worse!_ Yami thought to himself. "NO! I mean-" He turned back to her. "Hey, calm down, I was joking, alright? We can release the shark."

She sniffed but stopped crying. "...oh..." She even laughed a little. "A joke? I see... sorry, I didn't mean to break down like that..."

"It's fine. Here." He pointed at the ocean. "Why don't you let it go."

The shark squirmed out of her hands the moment she lowered it into the water, streaking off into the depths. She sighed and straightened up before turning to the two men behind her. "Thanks for teaching me how to fish, Yami! I'm going to go get some ice cream!"

_... she looks very beautiful in the sunset._

With one last wave, she ran off down the beach, two pairs of eyes following her. Yami sighed heavily, then heard Julius chuckle. "You really aren't very tactful, Yami."

"Hmm? What would you know about that?" Yami asked, eyeing the older man suspiciously.

Julius just smiled cryptically. "Five people, all going after the same girl..." He shook his head a little. Yami didn't know why Julius knew about that, but then again, Julius knew about everything. Despite being a pain, Yami respected the man, and if he had any advice, he wanted to hear it. "Be careful not to get too caught up in the game. There's no guarantee that she'll pick any of you, come Three-Leaf day." 

_... he's right. She might be happier alone than with any of us._ "You're going to have to really impress her. But I'm sure you'll do something interesting!" Julius started to walk away, raising his hand in a simple goodbye. "See you, Yami. Or would you like to get some ice cream, too?"

Yami blinked, thinking about his advice. _That's right, I need to knock her off of her feet... I don't know if my Tanto knife is enough..._ "No, I'll pass."

"Your loss!" Julius turned away and took off down the beach, leaving Yami alone with a lot on his weary mind.


	4. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three leaf day is here. Chaos is afoot.

"Vanessaaaa~! Chaaaaarmyyy~! Happy Three Leaf day!" 

Finral held out two presents for his squadmates, vibrating with anticipation. "Oh, thank you so much, Finral!" Vanessa said. 

"Hehe, so," Finral batted his eyelashes. "What are you two girls giving me in return? Hmm?"

"Hope," Charmy said. "I hope you get a life one of these days."

Vanessa smiled. "I have faith that you'll be able to get a girlfriend one day, Finral."

"D'OH!" It hurt, but Finral shook it off. "Very well, I have 30 more girls to visit, so I'll see you later!" With that, he jumped through a portal, which closed just as Yami stormed into the room. "FINRAL!!! Did you use up all the wrapping paper?" It was too late, Finral was long gone. 

"Captain, you need wrapping paper?" Charmy asked. "Finral wrapped 30 presents, so I'm pretty sure he used it all."

Yami sighed. "Great. I guess I'll have to go buy more." Without another word, he grabbed the small package he had prepared, now stuffed in a brown bag, and headed off to find his broom and go to town. He was hoping to avoid the stores today, since they were always packed with people on Three-Leaf day. Just as he feared, he had to push through a large, excited crowd in Kikka. _Well, at least I can just go straight to the castle after this,_ he thought to himself. _I can get it over with..._

Since that day at the beach, he managed to go on one "date" with that girl, glad to have her all to himself. Unfortunately, before he could ask anything about her romantic interests, she got a call from HQ and had to leave. _"I'm very sorry, Yami!"_ she had told him while scarfing down the rest of her food. It was kind of impressive how quickly she ate. _"But duty calls! We can meet up again some other time, alright?"_ With that, she was gone. Yes, the "chase" was thrilling, but come on! Yami needed a big break... but today could very well provide that.

"Hmm..." He examined some of the wrapping paper that was on sale, not willing to splurge on something trivial like this. She was a simple girl, after all, so she would probably appreciate something simple. _She wore a blue bathing suit, so her favorite color is probably blue._ Yami picked out a light blue roll of paper, paid for it, then headed out to find a place to sit down. With some difficulty, he started to wrap his box, but then heard a pair of frighteningly familiar voices.

"Oh? So what shabby gift did you pick out, Fuegoleon?"

"That's none of your business, Nozel."

"Well, I'm sure she'll like mine better."

"Perhaps. But I think she'll choose whoever gets there first."

Yami turned to see the two men standing in the middle of the street. A small crowd had formed around them, watching the royals with baited breath. Nozel grit his teeth, his hand clutching a gift bag. "Well, I'll just have to get to her before you, right?"

"Ka, ka! Fuegoleon's not the one you have to worry about, Nozel." They turned to see Jack run past them at full speed, clutching a similar package. They followed his trajectory and realized all at once who he was running at. "No way! She's here right now?!" Nozel exclaimed, pointing at the familiar female, who was walking away from them down the street with a group of her friends.

Yami jumped to his feet, his heart pounding. Of course, all of them had to be in the same place, and of course she _had_ to come out here right into their grasps. But Yami wasn't going to let them pounce... he would get to her first, he was sure of that. Using his magic to reinforce his legs, he took off, blowing past Nozel and Fuegoleon in pursuit of Jack. It wasn't long before they were neck and neck. "Yami! Finally, you showed up!" Jack yelled, scowling. "I'm the faster one, give up!"

"Tch, no way! Not when we're neck and neck!" Yami looked forward at the girl, completely unaware of what was about to happen. _Now... I need to get her alone. I'll have to scoop her up and take her somewhere private._ Both he and Jack jumped towards her, ready to take their prize.

She blinked, feeling a presence, then turned around and gasped when she saw the two men rocketing towards her. "Yami? Jack? What on earth-"

Just as they were about to grab her, something shot out of an alley and wrapped around her body. She screamed as the briars lifted her out of the way, causing Jack and Yami to tumble right into the ground. "Huh?" Yami looked up to see Charlotte on top of a nearby building, reeling their objective in like a fisherman reels in a prize catch. "Sorry, Yami, and Jack," Charlotte said, smiling a little to herself. "I won't let you men touch her."

"What about us?!"

Charlotte looked around to see a giant, silver eagle and a flaming lion jumping towards her, ridden by Nozel and Fuegoleon. "You two, as well? Fine." She prepared to cast another spell, but a voice cut her off.

"Dehydration magic: Vanishing Vapor!"

Charlotte looked to see the briars wilting around her "prisoner's" body, and the girl dropped back down to the ground. "I don't know what's gotten into you guys, but I'm out of here!" she yelled, turning and taking off towards the castle.

Determination flashed through all five of their eyes.

"Not if I can help it!"

Charlotte started to pursue, but was suddenly stuck in place. "What?!" she looked down to see dark bindings around her. "Yami!!!"

"Sorry, prickly Queen, but five's a crowd," Yami told her before running off after the others.

Fuegoleon was the fastest, quickly catching up. "Leo Palma!" A pair of flaming claws instantly clamped around the girl, halting her movements. He smiled to himself. "There! Your dehydration magic can't do anything against fire, can it?"

"Silver Rain!" Mercury suddenly shot down, driving away the fire and wrapping around her body instead. "Keep her hands off of her, Fuegoleon!" Nozel challenged, running towards her and brandishing his bag.

"Ah! What the Hell is going on!?" she yelled, completely confused.

"Take that!" Jack sliced away the mercury and grabbed her hand before running away. She was barely able to keep up, just going with the flow at this point. "Can you stand here for a moment?" he asked her before letting go and turning to face the others. "If you want to go any further, fight me, ka ka!"

"Bring it on!" Fuegoleon and Nozel readied their Grimoires.

The poor, confused girl stood there, frozen, as the chaos erupted around her. _Is this all because of me?! Jeez..._ She sighed and looked down at the box she was carrying in her hand. _At least I didn't drop this... although part of me wishes I did. I don't think I have the courage to give it to them, anyway..._

Yami managed to sneak around the fight, running towards her and easily scooping her up with one arm. "Yami! Can you explain what's going on?" she asked as he started to run, unnoticed by the others.

"I'm rescuing you," he told her. "Hold on!"

It wasn't long before they reached the gates of the castle, not stopping until they were safe on the steps. They both sat down to catch their breaths. "Wow... Three Leaf day is pretty exciting, isn't it!" Despite everything that happened, she was laughing, something that amazed Yami. "I wonder what that was all about... I wish they had just told me what was going on instead of fighting!"

Yami cleared his throat. "Yeah... about that..." He gulped and turned towards her, holding out his box. "I... made something for you. Happy Three Leaf day."

Her eyes widened at the sight of the present. "Oh... Yami... you didn't have to."

She stripped off the wrapping to reveal a carefully carved wooden box. She opened it, gasping slightly. "Oh, Yami, these are beautiful!" The box was filled with hand-made fishing lures. "You made these yourself?"

He nodded, averting his eyes. "Yeah... it's an apology for that fishing fiasco last week."

"Fiasco? It was fun, Yami!" He tensed up when he felt her hand come and rest on his arm. Slowly, he looked down into her eyes, his heart clenching painfully once again. Those bright, optimistic eyes.

 _I don't want her... I_ need _her..._

"I was thinking... we should go fishing again sometime. I know a lot of good spots. I mean, only if you want..." He gulped. "And also... what are you going to give me in return?"

They stood there for a moment in tense silence, her eyes flickering slightly. She glanced down at the present she had prepared, resting at her feet.

_... what should I do?_

A light blush appeared on her cheeks as she looked back up at Yami. "I... I'll give you-"

Suddenly, there was a loud noise from behind them. They whirled around to see a very angry Nozel, Fuegoleon, and Jack running towards them. "Yami! You sneaky bastard! Step away!"

Yami groaned. "Really, right now?!" He pulled away and unsheathed his katana. "Over my dead body!"

He ran forward, charging up a powerful spell. The others were doing the same. A voice was yelling at him to stop, but he couldn't hear it.

_All I have to do is surpass my limits... and then she's mine!_

Just as he jumped towards the attackers, everything froze. _...huh?_ He couldn't move, he couldn't see, it was as if time was frozen...

A moment later, he was released, as were the others. They all collapsed into a big pile. "What on earth?!" They sat up, blinking and trying to get their bearings.

"Honestly... when they say _pursue a woman,_ they don't mean you should _literally_ pursue her."

The familiar voice came from the top of the stairs. The four men looked up to see none other than Julius walking down towards them, an annoyed look on his face. _Uh oh... we're in trouble, aren't we?_ they thought all at once. Julius stopped, looking down at his scared advisor. "Are you alright?" His voice was softened a bit.

She nodded quickly. "I-I don't really know what's going on, but I'm terribly sorry, I think this might be my fault-"

"No, it isn't." Julius smiled before looking back down at his captains. "You four... I expected better. It seems to me that you all stopped thinking about her as as a person as soon as you learned that the others were after her as well... at that point, it just became a game, right? And she was the prize?"

Yami and the others glanced at each other sheepishly. It was true... they were all competitive people by nature, and they turned something wholesome into a raging battle. In the process, they reduced the girl into just an _objective._ Something to win... not something to love.

"...we're sorry," Fuegoleon said, bowing his head.

Julius chuckled. "Don't apologize to me!" He gestured at the girl next to him. "Go on."

The four of them bowed their heads. "Please forgive us."

She blinked slowly, everything finally making sense. "Oh... don't worry. I forgive you." She gave them a comforting smile. "Thank you all for being so nice to me... I hope we can become better friends in the future."

 _Hope. Friends._ The words stung, but they deserved it.

"Now, I'm glad that's settled," Julius said. Yami frowned a little, picking up something strange from the older man's Ki. _Wait... no... you have to be joking..._

He looked back up to see Julius smiling, satisfied with himself. "I was willing to give you guys a chance, once I learned about your little competition. But it's obvious now that none of you are ready to be in that kind of relationship... the kind she deserves." Yami and the others watched with horror as he turned to look down at the girl, who looked confused again. "That present... that's for me, isn't it?"

Her eyes widened. "Huh? H-How did you know?! Uh, but yeah..." She quickly looked at her feet. "I wasn't sure if I was actually going to give it to you... I didn't know if it was right for me to ask for _anything_ in return."

The sound of Julius's warm laugh made her look up again. "Oh, that's quite alright. You see... it didn't matter if you got me a gift or not. I was planning to give you _love_ either way."

 _...Is Julius really doing this in front of ALL OF US?!_ Yami thought to himself. It was actually kind of hilarious, and they probably should have seen this coming a mile away. After all, the person she spent the most time with, the person who gave her this life in the first place, was Julius. He had cast his line long before any of them even knew about her. How were they supposed to catch a fish that was already hooked?

"...Sir, are y-you sure?" She looked completely shocked at the revelation, yet a smile was starting to grow back on her face.

"Of course." She looked down and realized that they were holding hands. "It was hard for me to sit still, knowing that those guys were fighting hard, but something told me that it would end up with way." Julius's eyes twinkled a bit. "We should probably discuss this more in private. I- uh-" Even Julius was blushing a little now. "On the off-chance that you said yes... I prepared some food and wine in my room. So, would you like to-"

"Yes!"

Julius laughed a little at her eager response before looking back at the others. "Now, you four better go find something else to do for the night. Those presents are for her as well, right?"

Begrudgingly, still in disbelief that this was happening, Jack, Fuegoleon, and Nozel handed her their presents. She beamed down at them, obviously on the top of the world right now. "Thank you guys very much! As always... you have my undying faith and hope!"

"...thank you."

"Now, let's leave them, they need to think long and hard about what they've done." Julius started to pull her away, but a booming voice halted the pair. "Hold on, Julius!"

"Uh oh."

Marx was stomping his way over, looking furious. "You've been slacking off all day! This may be a heartwarming moment that _everyone_ expected," Marx looks pointedly into the camera. "But what do you think you're doing here? You're going to go eat, get drunk, and then bump uglies, right?"

Julius winced a little. "Now, Marx, that doesn't sound too good when you put it like that-"

"Well, you're not doing _any_ of that until that stack of paperwork is done!" Marx started to usher the two of them away. "And you..." he pointed at his coworker. "For distracting him... you're going to help him, alright?"

"What?! Actually, that doesn't sound so bad-"

"With _me_ chaperoning."

"Awww."

Yami, Jack, Fuegoleon, and Nozel watched as the trio disappeared inside. "Well... I don't envy them." Time for a cigarette.

Fuegoleon sighed heavily. "I suppose... he's right, though. We didn't deserve her."

"...I hate to admit it, but even I messed this up," Nozel added.

"Ka ka... this was more trouble than it was worth," Jack snidely said.

"Wait! What-" They looked around to see Charlotte running up. She skidded to a stop at the sight of their faces. "Where is she?"

Yami let out a long breath. "None of us had a chance. Let's leave it at that."

Charlotte looked disappointed, glancing down at her present. "Well... if I can't give this to her..." She suddenly flushed pink, squeezing her eyes shut. "Here, Yami! I would rather give it to you than have it go to waste!" She held the present out to him.

Yami raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? I thought you hated me?"

"NO! I mean- er... you're a loyal comrade. I have no reason to not give you a gift."

"If you say so." Yami took the present. "What do ya want in return?"

Charlotte agonized over the decision for a few seconds. "...faith."

"Fine. I have faith in you as my comrade."

"Ka ka, Yami, you're the dumbest guy I know," Jack smirked, turning to walk away with the other two. "Come on... let's go get drunk and forget about this."

Yami nodded, quickly following. Charlotte was close behind.

And so ended another Three-Leaf day, more eventful than most years ended up being. Who knew that one person could cause so much trouble among the prestigious Magic Knight's captains? If nothing else, Yami had been taught a valuable lesson, even if Julius had to come cuck them all in order to teach them. Well, it didn't matter, anyway. Romance was the last thing on his mind now. Yami had a feeling he would have his hands full in a month... the Magic Knights Exam was coming up soon, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to have her end up with Marx... but as you can see I have no self control. Oops?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comment if you enjoyed :)


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